INTRODUCTION:

Green Marketing is the process of promoting products or services supporting their environmental benefits. The products are environmentally friendly in themselves or produced in an environmentally friendly way.Alternate name for green marketing is eco-friendly marketing.

Green marketing and sustainable development are linked with one another, so that activities on green marketing  impact on achieving sustainable development. the assembly of environmentally friendly products, the utilization of recyclable materials that are biodegradable in packaging, the assembly and business process.

BUSINESS LOGIC:

Business logic for green marketing is more operational or technical; however, some executives see environmental opportunities as a serious source of revenue growth. Levels of pollution are relatively lower in developed countries than developing countries because of stringent regulations, the greening of most industries, and the relocation of most polluting activities to emerging market economies.  Greening of the developed world has been successful because most of the people are enlightened and appreciate a green environment.

Within the United States, UK and Australia, as an example, several companies aggressively market their “environmental friendliness,” and their consumers also show willingness to pay more for such products. 

PRODUCT STRATEGY:

The products need to be developed reckoning on the requirements of the customers preferring environment friendly products. Products will be made of recycled materials or from used goods. Efficient products not only conserve energy,water and money which we spend on the products, but also reduce ill effects on the environment. Green chemistry is the most used technique in production of eco-friendly products . The marketer’s role in product management is providing product designers with market-trends and customer requests for green product attributes.

NEED AND IMPLICATIONS FOR ADAPTING GREEN MARKETING STRATEGY:

Ottman suggested seven winning strategies of green marketing by challenging green marketers to:  Do their homework by understanding the full range of environmental, economic, political, and social issues that affect their consumers and therefore the firm‟s products now and over the long run.  Create new products that satisfy consumer’s desires for prime quality, convenience and affordable pricing with minimal environmental impact over the complete lifetime of their products.  Empower consumers with solutions. Help them understand the problems that affect their business  in addition benefit the firm environmentally preferable technology, materials and designs.  Establish creativity in the products for more reach among customers  Communicate firm‟s corporate commitment and project its values.  Continuously work for “zero” environmental impact of your products and processes; learn from their mistakes and not to quit.

THE SENSIBLE CHALLENGE -GREENING THE MARKETING 

 There are a lot of potential issues that one must overcome in adapting the green marketing programme . In adapting the green market concept, marketers would have to agitate with certain practical problems.

GREEN PRODUCT MANAGEMENT:          

The  firms that are using green marketing must make sure that their activities aren’t  misleading to consumers or industry, and do not breach any of the regulations or laws handling environmental marketing. Green marketing claims must clearly state environmental benefits. A problem of the firms face is that those who modify their products because of increased consumer concern must wear down the actual fact that consumers’ perceptions are sometimes not correct. To make a significantly greener economy,there’ll have to be a spread of latest and greener products and technologies. Rather than seeking to ameliorate environmental and social impacts of existing products and technologies through „end-of-pipe‟ initiatives, there’s a growth and more innovative „clean technology‟ solutions. Green product attributes fall into two general categories. First, there are those regarding the social and environmental impact of the tangible product itself. Improving the post-use eco-performance of products requires the combination of opportunities for some or all of the „five Rs‟ into the product concept: repair, reconditioning, reuse, recycling and re manufacture. The second category of attributes is people who relate to the processes by which the merchandise is formed and also the attributes of the corporate that produces it.

GOLDEN RULES OF GREEN MARKETING :

•  Know your Customer: cofirm that the patron is tuned in to and concerned about the problems that your product attempts to handle
•  Educating your customers: It is not just a matter of letting people know, whatever you’re doing is to guard the environment, but also a matter of letting them know why it matters.
•   Being Genuine & Transparent: means  a) You are actually doing what you claim to be doing in your green marketing campaign and b) The reminder of your business policies are unfluctuating with whatever you are doing that’s environment friendly.
•   Reassure the Buyer: Consumers must be made to believe that the product performs their work , in this fim should not forgot product quality in the name of the environment.
•  Consider Your Pricing: If you are charging a premium for your product and lots of environmentally preferable products cost more due to economies of scale and use of higher-quality ingredients make sure those consumers can afford the premium and feel it’s worthwhile. 

SAMPLES OF MARKETING:

• Starbuck’s marketing campaign. Starbucks is one amongst few companies which not only adopted but also remained committed to using environment-friendly methods to conduct their business and to draw in consumers. 
• Apple’s marketing initiative. 
• Johnson & Johnson’s marketing initiative. 
• IKEA marketing campaign
• Unilever.